Home ›› 17 Jun 2022 ›› Opinion
One night spent sleeping in a moderately lit room, rather than a dimly lit room, can lead to higher heart rate during the night and insulin resistance the next morning, a small study suggests.
The study included two groups of 10 healthy adults. One group slept in dimly lit rooms for two consecutive nights and the other slept in dimly lit rooms one night and then moderately lit rooms the next, according to the study, published March 14 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(opens in new tab). The moderately lit rooms were illuminated with a 100 lux overhead light, which is about as bright as it would be on an overcast day, according to The Washington Post(opens in new tab).
A 100 lux light could also be compared to a lit television screen in a darkened room or a street light shining through a thinly veiled window,
All the study participants wore heart monitors to sleep, and on the second night, the group that slept in moderately lit rooms showed a marked increase in heart rate while they slept, as compared to the night before, the researchers observed. The group that slept in dim lighting both nights showed no significant change.
One night spent sleeping in a moderately lit room, rather than a dimly lit room, can lead to higher heart rate during the night and insulin resistance the next morning, a small study suggests.
The study included two groups of 10 healthy adults. One group slept in dimly lit rooms for two consecutive nights and the other slept in dimly lit rooms one night and then moderately lit rooms the next, according to the study, published March 14 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences(opens in new tab). The moderately lit rooms were illuminated with a 100 lux overhead light, which is about as bright as it would be on an overcast day, according to The Washington Post(opens in new tab).
A 100 lux light could also be compared to a lit television screen in a darkened room or a street light shining through a thinly veiled window, New Scientist reported(opens in new tab).
All the study participants wore heart monitors to sleep, and on the second night, the group that slept in moderately lit rooms showed a marked increase in heart rate while they slept, as compared to the night before, the researchers observed. The group that slept in dim lighting both nights showed no significant change.
“We showed your heart rate increases when you sleep in a moderately lit room,” Dr. Daniela Grimaldi, a co-first author and research assistant professor of neurology at Northwestern University, said in a statement(opens in new tab). “Even though you are asleep, your autonomic nervous system is activated.” The autonomic nervous system regulates involuntary bodily processes, such as breathing, heart rate, pupil dilation and digestion, as well as the fight-or-flight response.
PIf the autonomic nervous system is driving up heart rate during the night, “that’s bad,” Grimaldi said. “Usually, your heart rate together with other cardiovascular parameters are lower at night and higher during the day.”
livescience
